The Falcons (4-4), who are on the fringes of the NFC playoff race, can continue their climb back to responsibility when they put their three-game winning streak on the line against the Browns (2-6-1) at 1 p.m. Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium.
This will be the 15th regular-season meeting between the Browns and Falcons. The Brows lead the series 11-3 and have won three of the last four games.
Here are five stats that set up the matchup:
1. Rookie Ridley: Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley tied Marques Colston and Martavis Bryant for the most receiving touchdowns through a player's first eight games in the last 30 years. He scored on a 40-yard touchdown catch in the final minute of the second quarter against the Redskins on Sunday and now has seven touchdowns on the season.
2. Coleman corner: Running back Tevin Coleman now has a touchdown in three straight games and has one in five of the last six road games. Coleman's 39-yard receiving touchdown was the longest receiving touchdown of his career and third of the season. Coleman amassed 156 total yards from scrimmage, the second-highest output of his career, against the Redskins.
3. Ryan on fire: Matt Ryan completed 26 of 38 passes for 350 yards, including four touchdowns and an interception against the Redskins. He finished with a 121.6 passer rating.
It was Ryan’s 35th career game with three or more touchdowns and his 50th 300-yard game, the 12th-most 300-yard passing games in NFL history.
4. Smith is valuable: Rookie running back Ito Smith rushed for 60 yards on six carries against the Redskins, including a 12-yard touchdown. Smith has four rushing touchdowns on the season, tied for the most rushing touchdowns by a Falcons rookie since T.J. Duckett (4) in 2002.
5. Stopping Chubb: The Falcons defense held the Redskins to 79 rushing yards, limiting running Adrian Peterson to 17 yards on nine careers. It was his second-lowest total of the season. The Browns rushing attack is led by rookie Nick Chubb, who rushed 22 times for 85 yards and a touchdown in a loss to the Chiefs Sunday. He also caught one passes for five yards.
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